Kok’s group was set up at the March 2003 EU summit to get millions of people off the dole queues and think up ways to help the Union meet its goal of becoming the world’s most competitive economy by the end of the decade.

Eurochambres, which represents chambers of commerce across the EU, said its plan would help build a highly-skilled labour market, with workers given the chance to update their qualifications. The jobs market would also be more open and capable of reacting quickly to economic changes, the Brussels-based group said. Proposals to make this vision a reality include:

Increasing labour supply by softening labour regulations;

making work pay by ensuring wages reflect productivity and are not hit by excessive taxes and social security contributions;

investing in human capital by boosting training schemes that meet business needs, and;